Hillsboro recorder., 1887-10-13
THE NORMAN IN BLACK.
4 spectre That Haunts the Pennsylvania
Goal Regions,

SCRANTON, Penn. For several weeks
past the towns and villages of the
Lackawanna and Wyoming Valleys
have been terrorizcd by a myth called
the Woman in Black, Its presence was
first reported in the Pine Brook section
of this city, where 1t was said to have
attacked number Of girls on their way
home fren ball. After that various
persons claimed to have seen the spec.
tire, and some declared that 1t possessed
the power Of vanishing at will. II Gre.
ated sensation one evening in the vi.
cinity of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal
Company's steel mill, and when closely
pursued BY number OF jealous persons
disappeared in an abandoned coal mine.
Its antics at that time were briefly re-
ported in the Tines as novelty to de.
monstrate the effect Of craze, but
since then the Woman in Black hallu-
cina,ion has taken possession OF the en-
tire region, and every town and hamlet
has its own special edition Of the un-
Fanny visitor.
After doing all the suburbs Of Scran.
ION the spectre betook itself to Arch
pold, q mining town about nine miles
north OF this city. There it appeared
with great regularity for q week or
more, and then proceeded TO Carbon
dale, some seven miles further on. Car.
bondale is noted as being the scene Of
the famous duel between George G..
Min, the reverend tragedian, and Stage
Manager 0'Hea-n, in which each side
claimed victory. The 'Pioneer City, Y
as ii is called sometimes, was not more
thoroughly shaken ZIP over that his
tronic event than by the advent of the
Woman in Black, who was credited
with having appeared in dozen places
at once. While the hair of such OF
carbondale's reputable citizens as are
not bald was fairly on end with fear Of
the sable terror, some enterprising resi-
dent of Pittston suddenly saw the
Woman in Black on the Depot Bridge.
She was going in the direction Of West
Pittston, and her eyes were brighter
than the electric lights. The news Of
her presence soon spread, and a night or
two later she was encountered at the
Junction, at Sebastapool, at Cork-lane,
Frogtown, and other aristocrat suburbs
of the town The saloons, the stores,
and the street corners discussd nothing
bat the Woman in Black. and while the
excitement was at Its height the appa.
rition suddenly appeared in Wilkes
barre.
The efforts Of the enterprising super.
stition- -mongers of that place were sec.
onded by the able-bodied imaginations
OF the local reporters, who actually pro-
fe sed to have interviews with the SOM
bre delusion, and it didn't take long to
set the town in q fever of excitement.
The people living on the outskirts Of
the place were soon thrown into state
of terror from which they have not yet
recovered. although the Woman in
Black has recently been seen in Kings
ton, Nanticoke, and Plymouth-across
the river. OF late she has not contented
herself with simply appearing" but
has assaulted number of persons, and
in some instances has committed rob
berry. Thus the hallucipation which
was at first harmless has become serious
by afTording unscrupulous and Crimi
nally disposed persons an opportunity
to do their wicked work under the
mask Of the Woman in Black.
The citizens of the Second Ward oi
Wilkesbarre have resolved on not let
ting the thing pass as hoax. Several
girls were frightened in tina. neighbor
hood few evenings ago by the spectre
and their friends have offered q reward
Of $50 for the arrest of the individua
who masqueraded as the Woman in
| Black on that occason. A bartender al
Nanticoke was set upon the other nigh
by some one personating the terrible fe
male, and who tried TO rob him. Nari
| Gus assaults Of a similar nature are re
ported from other par Of the val ey
and what was at first merely source o
terror to the superstitious has become
| grim reality in several towns. So grea
hold has the scare taken on the public
mind in one way or another that 1t i
not safe for lady dressed in black 4
be out after dark. Last evening
middle.aged woman who was drcsser
in mourning was returning home from
visit to some relatives. when she met |
couple OF young ladies' who fed il
great terror at her approach. AT frs
she could not account for 1t, but sud
denly realizing that they had mistakei
her for the Woman In Black she ran Of
Ter them 10 convince them Of their error
The faster she ran the more their terrO
increased, until she finally shouted: -
an not the Woman in Black Don't b
afraid It took her some time TO con
vince them that she really was not tn
mythical terror they ha heard 90 mucl
Of.
Just now tho excitement Is at Il
height throughout this region, and on
OF the most popular greetings anon
neighbors -: ''IIaYe you seen th
Woman in BlnckT' There does NO
seem to I've any remedy for the craze
any more thsn there was for the fftec
puzzle, until snch time as il has spcn
It's force Meantime II would be We
for those who value their lives not &
masquerade as the woman in black 1
these parts.